Coastal developer Randall Davis back in business in Houston

Randall Davis, one of the Texas coast’s premier developers, is back in business with plans for a luxurious new condo tower in Houston called the Astoria after emerging from the worst recession since the Great Depression as well as Hurricanes Ike and Dolly in 2008. Davis built the stellar Diamond Beach and Emerald condo towers in Galveston and the Sapphire towers in South Padre Island. With Astoria, Davis returns to Houston’s Galleria-River Oaks area — the site of his initial success as a developer — and has assembled the same team that he led before the downturn. The Astoria boasts 74 units of approximately 1,300 square feet to 5,300 square feet for a penthouse, and prices appear to range from $805,000 to around $3 million. The Spanish-speaking market is clearly a target — Davis offers translation services and has named the building after one of the ancient kingdoms of Spain, and the floor plans for Spanish-speaking artists.

Davis appears to be determined to make Astoria a success — he’s advertising his cell phone number on the project’s website and says he’ll take calls personally. He’s working with his former broker, Gloria Tanksley and Personette Group, and his website designer, the good project.